DC Heroes
DC Heroes is an out-of-print superhero role-playing game set in the DC Universe, published by Mayfair Games. Michael A. Martin, "Superhero Role-Playing Games" in Gina Renée Misiroglu and David A. Roach, The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia Of Comic-Book Icons And Hollywood Heroes. Visible Ink Press, 2004, ISBN 9781578591541 (pp. 512-515). Other than sharing the same licensed setting, DC Heroes is unrelated to the West End Games DC Universe or to the more recent Green Ronin Publishing DC Adventures game. ''DC Heroes was critically well-received. Gameplay The game system in DC Heroes is sometimes called the Mayfair Exponential Game System (or MEGS). DC Heroes uses a logarithmic scale for character attributes. For example, a value of 3 is double a value of 2 and four times a value of 1. The scale allows characters of wildly different power levels to co-exist within the same game without one completely dominating a given area. For example, although Superman is many orders of magnitude stronger, Batman is capable of surviving a straight brawl with him for a short period. Conflicts are resolved using an Action Table and two ten-sided dice. The die-rolling system involves re-rolling any double result (the same number on both dice), so that any result is possible. Depending on the result on the Action Table, play moves to a Results Table to determine the degree of success if an action succeeds. Characters have a set of Attributes, Powers and Skills. Attributes are the nine qualities every character has, while Powers and Skills reflect innate ability or training. Attributes are divided into three categories (Physical, Mental and Spiritual) and three attribute types (Action, Effect and Resistance). For example, when Superman punches someone he uses his Dexterity to see if he connects, his Strength to see how hard he hits, and the opposing character's Body to see how much damage he did. The value of a Power usually serves as both Active Value (AV) and Effect Value (EV), resisted by the target's Resistance Value (RV). All actions taken, even against inanimate objects, use that system. For example, investigators use AV and EV against a RV to determine the quality of information their efforts gather. Hero Points, which are used as experience points, can be spent during play to influence Action Table Results. Hero Points are also used in the creation of original characters -- as in other points-based games all abilities cost a certain number of Hero Points to buy and improve. Because the power level of characters in the DC Universe varies so greatly, characters are built using varying amounts of Hero Points depending on the scale of the campaign. Features DC Heroes' design was distinctive and was further refined by a second and third edition. Some of its notable features are : * A unified scale ("Attribute Points" or APs) measuring weight, distance, time, volume, money and information. This allows for quickly evaluating the feasibility and impact of many actions, even at non-intuitive scales. For instance, your Strength in APs minus the weight of an object in APs is the APs of distance you can throw that object. * An exponential progression of Attributes Points -- a score of 4 corresponds to twice the quantity of a score of 3, a score of 5 is twice as good as a score of 4 and thus four times as good as score of 3, etc. This rapid progression was intended to handle both Superman and Jimmy Olsen without using huge numbers but without drowning the differences between characters. * A 3×3 grid of physical, mental and mystical/social character stats expressing precision, force and resilience in each area. * Action resolution based on 2d10 (re-rolling doubles) and two universal tables. * A list of broad Advantages, Drawbacks and Skills that covers most characters very well without being too expensive * A lengthy list of powers describing concrete effects rather than abstract game concepts, and with a streamlined depiction of super-speed. * A system of Hero Points spent by characters to enhance their actions. This very important feature of the systems expresses endurance, willpower, narrative immunity, luck, story flow, etc. * A simple system of Subplots formalizing character(s)-specific stories that run parallel to the main intrigue — romance, secret identity problems, day job matters, mysterious pasts, power complications, good or bad luck, public image problems... * A simple system of Genre to change the texture of the game system depending upon whether you're telling silly Silver Age stories or gritty Iron Age stories. * Technological and magical inventions, social conflict, special tactics and combat manoeuvres, improvised one-off use of powers, and other less distinctive subsystems. History Mayfair Games published the first edition in 1985. During the same time-frame, DC released its twelve-part "maxi-series" Crisis on Infinite Earths, which dramatically reshaped the DC universe. As a result of this timing, both Silver Age and pre-Crisis writeups were included alongside new, post-Crisis versions of the characters. A simplified version of DC Heroes called The Batman Role-Playing Game was released in 1989 to coincide with the Batman film. Roberta E. Pearson and William Uricchio. The Many lives of the Batman: critical approaches to a superhero and his media. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, (p.58). The second edition, published in 1989, was a boxed set which contained a "Read This First" introductory booklet, a "Rules Manual," an introductory adventure "Exposed," and a "Background/Roster Book" with game statistics for almost 250 DC characters. The set also contained the gamemaster's screen, an "Action Wheel" for resolving gameplay, two decks of cards with statistics for DC Comics characters, and dice. Allen Varney, "The State of the Art in Superheroics, Part 2", Dragon Magazine, January 1991. The rules incorporated material from the Batman Role-Playing Game and the Superman Sourcebook. These materials also included rules for advantages, drawbacks, and gadgetry. The third edition, published in 1993, further refined the rules by revamping the point costs of various abilities. Since the release coincided with the Death of Superman and Rise of the Supermen story arcs, it included ratings for all four variant versions of Superman that appeared in that story arc - at least as DC envisioned them at this stage. Blood of Heroes Mayfair Games eventually sold the rights to the Mayfair Exponential Game System to another company, Pulsar Games, which later released the Blood of Heroes role-playing game without a license to use DC Comics' setting. It is disputed, however, whether Mayfair owned the rights to the system or if those were also owned by DC Comics. New characters were created specifically for the Blood of Heroes universe. The setting included with the game is a 1990s-style superhero world with a heavy influence of occult and magical beings, which accounts for the much more detailed magic system included in the game. A subsequent edition, Blood of Heroes: Special Edition, incorporated a large number of rule tweaks as well as lots of new material. Reception Reviewing the second edition of DC Heroes in Dragon magazine, Allen Varney praised the games' rules, stating DC Heroes "combines broad combat options with speed of play. It quantifies noncombat interaction, such as interrogation, better than any game I know. Its AP system shows true ingenuity and, in the second edition, improved realism." "The State of the Art in Superheroics, Part 2", by Allen Varney. Dragon Magazine, January 1991. However, Varney criticized the game's rules for building gadgets, saying that the second edition was "Mayfair's third try at gadgets, and the rules still don't work." Varney concluded his review with "if you find other superhero RPGs too slow or complex for your taste -- and if you don't mind one-table systems -- use the DC HEROES rules as a fast-paced superheroic combat system for your own campaign world." Notes List of DC Heroes supplements *201 - DC HEROES RPG : Original Boxed Set *202 - H.I.V.E. by Troy Denning. *203 - Blood Feud by Jeff O'Hare. *204 - Siege by Jerry Epperson and Craig Patterson. 1st Edition. *205 - Batman Sourcebook (1st Edition) *206 - Wheel of Destruction by Matthew J. Costello. *207 - All That Glitters by Greg Gordon. *208 - Project Prometheus by Greg Gordon and Lee Maniloff. *209 - Countdown to Armageddon by Dan Greenberg. *210 - Doomsday Program by Mark Acres. *211 - Four Horsemen of Apokolips . *212 - Night in Gotham By Walter Hunt. *213 - Legion of Superheroes: Vol. 1 : Character Sourcebook *214 - Escort to Hell: Jonah Hex by Matthew J. Costello. *215 - Fire and Ice By Bruce Humphrey. *216 - Legion of Superheroes: Vol. 2 : World Sourcebook, by Rich Meyer, Walter Hunt and Robert Traynor. *217 - King of Crime : Flash's Rogues' Gallery Adventure by Jeff O'Hare. *218 - Don't Ask! By Scott Jenkins. *219 - Lines of Death : Green Arrow/Black Canary Match-Play by Mark Acres. *220 - When A Stranger Calls by Ray Winninger. *221 - Eternity, INC. by Lawrence Schick. *222 - An Element of Danger By Steve Perrin. *223 - Pawns of Time Legion of Super-Heroes Adventure series #1 by Steve Crow and Chris Mortika. *224 - Knight to Planet 3 LSH Adventure series #2 by Mark Acres. *225 - Mad Rook's Gambit LSH Adventure series #3 By Mark Acres. *226 - King For All Time LSH Adventure series #4 By Mark Acres. *227 - Who Watches the Watchmen? By Dan Greenberg. *228 - The Dream Machine By Mark Acres. *229 - Rigged Results by Bruce Humphrey. *230 - Belle Reve Sourcebook featuring the Suicide Squad By Steve Crow and Doug Franks. *231 - Lights, Camera... Kobra by Ray Winninger. *232 - The Hardware Handbook : Gadget Sourcebook #1 *233 - Superman Sourcebook (1st Edition) By Steve Crow and Chris Mortika. *234 - The Green Lantern Corps Sourcebook by Ray Winninger. *235 - Watchmen 2: Taking out the Trash by Ray Winninger. Features the essay "The World of the Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Winninger *237 - Blitzkrieg : Blackhawk Adventure by Jeff O'Hare. *238 - Moonshot : Doom Patrol Sourcebook/Adventure by Paul Kupperberg and Ray Winninger. *239 - Strangers in Paradise : Wonder Woman Sourcebook/Adventure by Dan Greenberg in collaboration with George Pérez. *240 - City of Fear : Flash Adventure by Scott Jenkins. *241 - Justice League Sourcebook By Ray Winninger. 2nd Edition. *242 - Operation: Atlantis by Stephen R. Crow. 1st Ed. *243 - War of the Gods : Superman/Wonder Woman Match-Play by Dan Greenberg. *244 - Apokolips Sourcebook : Darkseid & The New Gods by Scott Paul Maykrantz. *245 - DC HEROES RPG : Boxed Set (2nd Edition). *246 - Batman Sourcebook (2nd Edition) By Mike Stackpole. 2nd/3rd Ed. *247 - The Atlas of the DC Universe by Paul Kupperberg. *248 - Come on Down! by Ray Winninger and Jack Barker. *249 - The Otherwhere Quest Green Lantern Adventure by Ray Winninger. *250 - Deadly Fusion : Batman/Superman Match-Play by Thomas R. Cook *251 - The Law of Darkness : New Gods Adventure By Scott Paul Maykrantz. *252 - The New Titans Sourcebook by John J. Terra. *253 - In Hot Pursuit : Action Comics Anthology By John J. Terra, Joe Pecsenyicki, Douglas P. Franks, and Willaim Tracy . *254 - The Watchmen Sourcebook by Ray Winninger. *255 - Magic : Sourcebook on DC Magic by Dan Greenberg. *256 - Swamp Thing : Sourcebook/Solitaire By Ray Winninger. *257 - The World at War : WWII Sourcebook By Ray Winninger. *258 - Superman Sourcebook (2nd Edition). By Roger Stern. *259 - World in the Balance : JLI Adventure By Mike Moe and Beverly Hale. *260 - Who's Who #1 : Backgrounds of Characters and Places #1. Based on Who's Who in the DC Universe. *261 - Who's Who #2 : Backgrounds of Characters and Places #2. *262 - Sandman Sourcebook based on Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Unpublished. *263 - Legion of Superheroes : 2995 Sourcebook By Tom and Mary Bierbaum. *264 - Who's Who #3 : Backgrounds of Characters and Places #3 *265 - DC Technical Manual : Gadgetry Sourcebook 2. *266?? - The Flash Sourcebook Unpublished. *267 - DC HEROES RPG : Revised Softcover Edition (3rd Edition) by Ray Winninger. *268?? - Who's Who #4 : Backgrounds of Characters and Places #4. Unpublished. *2004 - New Teen Titans 5-Pack : Contains various modules *299 - The Batman Role-Playing Game by Ray Winninger. External links * Pen & Paper RPG Database - details on DC Heroes products Heroes Category:Superhero role-playing games Category:Role-playing games based on comics Category:Mayfair Games games